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2,226 Articles
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The world's best gem articles, published weekly.

Most Recent Articles

cushion-cut rutile - Pakistan
Rutile Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Though perhaps best known as inclusions within other gems, rutile crystals themselves can be faceted or cabbed as curiosities for collectors. Synthetics can show a variety of colors and have even been used as diamond simulants.

freshwater pearl ring - pearl engagement ring stones
Choosing Pearl Engagement Ring Stones

Although natural pearls are extremely rare and expensive, the availability of cultured pearls makes it easier to buy this classic, elegant gem than ever before. However, before choosing a pearl engagement ring stone, you need a crash course to understand this aquatic gem and the special care it requires.

faceted sarcolite - Italy
Sarcolite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Sarcolite is an extremely rare mineral. Tiny, colorless to “fleshy pink” gems have been cut only from material from one locality: Mount Vesuvius.

gram princess citrine - face up
Gram Princess: Online Faceting Designs and Diagrams

Introduced in 1960, the classic princess by A. Nagy was an economical cut for flat diamond crystals. However, this popular design doesn’t lend itself very well to colored gemstones. The Gram Princess by Jeff Graham is a redesign of the princess cut suitable for saturated gems.

faceted sulfur - Michigan
Sulfur Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

Although sulfur is very abundant, facetable material is not. Sulfur is also enormously difficult to cut and almost impossible to wear, so faceted pieces have some scarcity value for collectors of unusual gems.

pearl symbolism - Dole Plantation
Pearl Symbolism

Prized for millennia, pearls are organic gems with strong associations with the Moon, great value, and weddings. Learn more about pearl symbolism and the lore of the June birthstone.

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